By Abdul Ghani

Pakistan continues to lose around 11,000 hectares of forest area each year despite ongoing afforestation programmes and large-scale tree plantation campaigns, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26.

The survey highlights deforestation as a persistent environmental challenge that threatens biodiversity, water resources and ecosystem stability.

According to the report, forest cover accounts for only about 4.7% of Pakistan's total land area, leaving the country with limited forest resources.

The continued pressure on forest resources is linked to low forest cover, rapid land-use changes, population growth, rural poverty and heavy dependence on natural resources.

The survey notes that shrinking forest resources increase environmental risks by accelerating soil erosion, reducing biodiversity and weakening natural protection against floods and land degradation.

Forests play an important role in watershed protection, helping regulate water flows and improve groundwater recharge in many parts of the country.

The report highlights growing concerns about climate change and environmental degradation, underscoring the urgency of protecting existing forest resources.

According to the survey, forest conservation has become a key component of Pakistan's climate adaptation efforts, particularly following recent floods and extreme weather events.

The government has launched several afforestation initiatives aimed at restoring degraded landscapes and increasing tree cover. However, the survey suggests that forest preservation remains as important as plantation efforts.

Environmental sustainability experts emphasize that protecting mature forests often provides greater ecological benefits than replacing lost forests through new plantations.

The survey notes that improved forest management, stronger enforcement mechanisms and greater community participation will be necessary to reduce deforestation and protect natural ecosystems.

According to the report, balancing economic development with environmental conservation remains one of the country's major long-term challenges.

The survey highlights that sustained efforts to reduce forest loss will be critical for biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and natural resource management.

Despite ongoing plantation campaigns, the annual loss of around 11,000 hectares of forests demonstrates the scale of the conservation challenge facing Pakistan's environmental sector.

Credit: INP-WealthPk